Administrative overview · FIPS 06027
Inyo County permit authority
The first compliance decision is jurisdictional: identify the office with statutory authority over your parcel, then use its filing and inspection sequence to keep the project moving.
Jurisdictional status
County
This county profile is the primary starting point for unincorporated-area permitting.
Responsible agency
Inyo County Department of Public Works, Building and Safety Department
For a project in or near Inyo County, this office is the identified point of contact for permit intake, statutory code enforcement, plan review coordination, and inspection release conditions. Confirm the parcel’s boundary and project type before relying on the county lane.
Direct contact
(760) 873-7857
Call before mobilizing if the project has a boundary, occupancy, fire, septic, or utility question.
Permit counter
Inyo County Building and Safety Department, 377 W. Line Street, Bishop, CA 93514
Operating hours
N/A; the current Building and Safety page publishes the office address, phone, and email but does not state department counter hours.
Review expectation
N/A; the county publishes the application and plan-check requirements but no standard building-permit review timeline. Applications and plans become void after one year, and building permits generally become void three years after issuance unless extended under Title 14.
Compliance workbench
Choose the next project decision.
Apply online
Open the verified digital gateway, application form, and review timeline.
Open guide →Fees & penalties
Understand fee schedules, enforcement exposure, and stop-work liabilities.
Open guide →Codes & exemptions
Read the code framework, minor-work exemptions, and inspection lane.
Open guide →Agency website
Visit the primary public source for current notices and contact changes.
Open guide →Source trail
Official sources for this profile
Use these direct agency or licensing links to confirm current instructions before you file, pay, or schedule work. External pages control if their information differs from this directory.
Project questions
Frequently asked questions for Inyo County
Who handles permitting for this jurisdiction?
Inyo County Department of Public Works, Building and Safety Department is the identified county-level authority for this profile. Confirm that the property is in its service area before filing.
How should I begin an application?
No verified online portal was located in the reviewed public materials. Contact (760) 873-7857 and request the current application route before preparing a final submittal.
How long might review take?
N/A; the county publishes the application and plan-check requirements but no standard building-permit review timeline. Applications and plans become void after one year, and building permits generally become void three years after issuance unless extended under Title 14.
How are inspections scheduled?
Complete the county Request for Inspection form or contact the Building and Safety Department at (760) 873-7857. The request identifies the permit type and number, contractor information, inspection location, inspection type, and comments; building applications are submitted by email to buildingandsafety@inyocounty.us.
Which codes and exemptions should I review?
Inyo County Code Title 14 adopts all parts of the most recent California Code of Regulations Title 24, subject to local amendments. Local requirements include Inyo County snow-load and wind-load design criteria, designation of all unincorporated areas as a Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Area, and local climatic, geological, and topographical standards. For 2026 applications this means the 2025 California Building Standards Code effective January 1, 2026, together with Title 14 amendments and other required county approvals. California Building Code, state, and federal exemptions may apply; Inyo County Code Title 14 expressly recognizes those exemptions but the current county Building and Safety page does not publish a separate detailed minor-work exemption list. The county's examples show permits are required for nearly all common residential and commercial work, including sheds, patios, decks, reroofing, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, solar, pools, demolition, drywall, windows, and structural work.